United States AttorneyNorthern District of Ohio

Twelve People Indicted on Illegal Firearms Charges

Twelve people were indicted today in federal court on illegal firearms charges, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. Five of the defendants are from Akron. Three are from Youngstown. Four are from the Greater Cleveland area.

Stopping gun violence by enforcing laws that prohibit felons from packing firearms is a priority of my office, Dettelbach said. Felons should know by now that they should stay away from firearms or expect to go back to prison.

Robert Browning, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Columbus Field Office, said: These indictments are further indication of the ongoing commitment by ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute gun crimes in Northern Ohio.

All the defendants listed below are charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, unless otherwise noted. They are:

Ellis Cobb, Jr., 33, of Cleveland, is accused of having a North American Arms .22-caliber revolver on Aug. 19, 2011, despite a previous conviction for aggravated assault.

Damond D. Dixson, 35, of Akron, is accused of having a Jimenez Arms .25-caliber pistol on Sept. 1, 2011, despite a previous conviction for possession with intent to distribute and distributing cocaine base (crack). He has also been indicted on one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack).

William Marshall Fenshaw, 40, of Middlefield, Ohio, is accused of having a Marlin, Model 75, .22-caliber rifle, a Harrington and Richardson, Model 400 20-gauge shotgun, a Yugoslavian SKS, Model 59/66 .223-caliber rifle, a MAADI/Helwan 9 mm pistol and ammunition on July 14, 2011, despite a previous conviction for possession for sale of methamphetamine.

Anthony Jackson, 41, of Cleveland, is accused of having a Smith and Wesson, Model Sigma, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and 13 rounds of ammunition on Aug. 19, 2011, despite a previous conviction for drug trafficking.

William A. Keyes, 32, of Youngstown, is accused of having a Rossi, Model 88 .38- caliber revolver and ammunition on Aug. 17, 2011, despite a previous conviction for possession of cocaine.

Stacey D. Mahone, 34, of Youngstown, is accused of having a Bauer .25-caliber pistol and ammunition on March 24, 2011, despite a previous conviction for domestic violence, possession of cocaine and preparation of cocaine for sale.

Michael C. Rodriguez, 21, of Youngstown, is accused of having a Smith and Wesson, Model SW40VE .40-caliber pistol and ammunition on Aug. 3, 2011, despite a previous conviction for burglary.

Charles D. Taylor, 36, of Akron, is accused of having a Smith and Wesson .38-caliber revolver and ammunition on July 22, 2011, despite previous convictions for aggravated drug trafficking and escape.

D’Andre Thomas, 25, of Akron, is accused of having a Sig Sauer, model P226, .40- caliber pistol and ammunition on Aug. 26, 2011, despite a previous conviction for aggravated robbery and felonious assault.

Michael A. Welch, 25, of Akron, is accused of having a Smith and Wesson .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and ammunition on Aug. 19, 2011, despite previous convictions for reckless homicide and trafficking in cocaine.

Also, Richard H. Wortman, 35, of Madison, Ohio, is charged with making false statements in relation to the purchase of firearms. On or about Aug. 11, 2011, Wortman knowingly made fictitious oral and written statements to Semi-Arms, Inc, a licensed dealer of firearms, which were intended and likely to deceive Semi-Arms, Inc. about the lawfulness of the sale of five handguns, according to the indictment.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Blas E. Serrano, David M. Toepfer and Kelly Galvin following investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Youngstown Police, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police and the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to the cases, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, role in the offense and characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives United States Department of Justice